Hi all,

Below are some recent events that you may find interesting.

Stephen

*Justice department calls Megaupload case a success despite catastrophic flaws* (RT) http://rt.com/usa/news/justice-department-megaupload-success-757/

Even as the US government's case against Kim Dotcom and the vast copyright infringement conspiracy they allege he orchestrated crumbles in their hands, the Justice Department has only nice things to say about their take-down of Megaupload.

The Obama administration has all but thrown in the towel in the federal copyright infringement suit against Megaupload.com, but Attorney General Eric Holder is celebrating the seizure of the file storage site nearly a year later even despite a steady series of setback both domestically and abroad expected to heavily jeopardize the outcome of the case.

Speaking at the Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Grant Award Event in Towson, Maryland on Wednesday, Attorney General Holder praised the DoJ’s attempts at prosecuting Megaupload and its associates for copyright infringement, calling the case yet another example in the courts’ “record of success” when it comes to fighting and preventing IP crimes.

...

*US court to rule on ReDigi's MP3 digital music resales* (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19842851

A US court is to consider a case that could determine whether digital media files can be resold.

One-year-old start-up ReDigi is battling music giant EMI over whether digital music can be retraded after it has been legally purchased.

ReDigi says that its software is designed to comply with existing United States copyright laws.

...

*Internet firms driving information technology industry growth, says OECD*(OECD) http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/internetfirmsdrivinginformationtechnologyindust...

Internet firms continue to drive growth and job creation in the IT industry, with fast-rising demand for mobile services helping to boost revenue and investment in research and development, according to a new OECD report.

The OECD Internet Economy Outlook 2012 says that the top 250 ICT firms, ranked by revenue, boosted employment by 4% in 2010 and 6% in 2011. Hiring grew fastest among Internet firms who increased employment by 29% in 2011, largely driven by Amazon.com and Google adding 50% more employees between 2010 and 2011.

...

*Your right to resell your own stuff is in peril* (MarketWatch) http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-right-to-resell-your-own-stuff-is-in-p...

Tucked into the U.S. Supreme Court’s agenda this fall is a little-known case that could upend your ability to resell everything from your grandmother’s antique furniture to your iPhone 4.

At issue in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons is the first-sale doctrine in copyright law, which allows you to buy and then sell things like electronics, books, artwork and furniture, as well as CDs and DVDs, without getting permission from the copyright holder of those products.

Under the doctrine, which the Supreme Court has recognized since 1908, you can resell your stuff without worry because the copyright holder only had control over the first sale.

...